Reincarnation
by ronko45
Summary: Misty goes on a journey after an accident with Ash and soon after she meets a Lucario, who has headaches.  They go on a journey together and let's see where it takes them next...
1. Chapter 1

Pokemon Story

I own nothing but the story you are reading… but I do want a Pikachu!

Reincarnation

-X-

_The sky was a beautiful shade of warm hues as the sun dropped into the horizon. Two trainers walked through the course sand and continued until they reached an isolated bank, the place they were searching for. "Misty," said Ash cautiously. He walked up to her, with Pikachu following behind. "I think we should come back later, maybe in the morning?"_

_Misty rolled her eyes. "You've faced way more dangerous things than trying to catch a Pokémon. Besides, Omanyte are rare and only the few that are left, come from the sea every million years, in different locations. Professor Oak told me this was where they were gonna appear to mate and lay their eggs." A ripple was seen on the water and then a mass of calcium shells were waddling up to the shore. "It's time. Corsola, I choose you!"_

_The pink coral Pokémon emerged from the red ball and was ready to serve its master. "Alright," yelled Misty, "Spike…" Before Misty even had a chance of finishing her sentence, the Omanyte all attacked. Hundreds of Water Guns and Mud Shots filled the air as they targeted the duo. The amount of power between each of them was insignificant, but together as a whole it finished Corsola. Misty was left to take the rest of the damage as she was pushed onto her back._

"_Misty!" Ash ran to her side and attempted to pull her up. "Come on Misty." The Omanyte continued their barrage. Ash was taking all the damage. Great welts were forming on his body from the extreme pressure. "Get out of here Misty…"_

"_Ash! You can't…" The boy pushed the girl and told her to get away. _

"_I'll get that Omanyte for you if it's the last thing. Come on Pikachu. Thunder!" A massive thunder came striking down on the horde of ammonite looking creatures and one by one some of them fainted. "Run Misty…" Ash looked down at his waist and reprimanded himself. Both he and Misty had left their Pokémon back at Oak's place because they believed it would be easy… what an underestimation. Ash looked back at the Omanyte and saw something that only made his day worse. The Pokémon had spread out, as three Omastar walked through. "Pikachu… Quick Attack!"_

_The yellow mouse Pokémon ran through and hit the middle one, but the others weren't after him. As the one was involved with Pikachu, the others were aiming at the humans. An Ancient Power and a Hydro Pump were in the air, already gliding towards Ash who had jumped in front of the Waterflower._

"_Ash… no…"_

Misty ran out of the Pokémon Center with a look of content on her face. She had just received news that a friend of Professor Oak's had just collected some Omanyte eggs, and was willing to give one to the professor. Misty smiled and looked down at her companion. "We have to go get the egg; I guess we have a journey ahead of us huh Pikachu?" Pikachu smiled and jumped on her shoulder as they walked toward their destination.

As much as the water trainer hated to travel in woods, she had to, to find the shortest way possible to her destination. She cautiously stepped inside, and with a deep breath and started to walk. The forest was rife with sounds as the two continued to make their way deeper and deeper into the wilderness. She saw a Caterpie climbing onto a tree and she sighed; a memory played itself in her head, but she only continued on. Night fell quickly that day and they soon had to stop to set up camp. Pikachu and Misty fell asleep as soon as they hit the sleeping bag, because their journey was a long one.

The moon and the stars were still very visible in the night sky when Misty awoke. She slowly got up, trying not to wake her sleeping companion. She didn't know why, but she felt that she needed to go be next to a body of water. There was a lake she remembered about and she went to it. The lake shone with such lunar brilliance as she approached it; nothing could've possibly made this night any better. As Misty was relishing in the beauty of the world around her, she heard rustling in a nearby bush.

"Who's there?" she asked, voice trembling. She stood up, and had a pokeball ready in case she needed to fight. The rustling grew louder, and closer. Finally, a hand poked out and she saw a black paw. The creature was probably as tall as she was, maybe a little shorter, but still… her senses were on high. The creature took a step out of the foliage, his feet also black. As its whole body started to show itself, she gasped. The Pokémon turned and saw her.

It was a Lucario. Lucario, first of all, were not native to the Kanto region, so to see one here was just amazing. Misty began to throw her ball when the Pokémon walked up closer to her, but then it told her to stop. "What?"

"Please, can you just let me rest?" Misty lowered the ball but still kept it in her hands. She walked up closer to the Pokémon, clearly captivated by its appearance.

"Why can you talk?" she asked. "Why are you here? You're not from around here…"

"I don't know, I just can, and I don't know what I'm doing here. I woke up here, but I don't remember when, but ever since, I've been in battle after battle. Why do people want to capture me?"

"You are a rare Pokémon in this country. As long as you walk without a trainer, you will get battled."

"I don't mind the battling, but I don't want to be captured."

"Alright then," yelled Misty. The blue Pokémon looked at her confused. "You can travel with me until you know what you want to do. By the way, my name is Misty."

"Wow, thanks."

The next morning, Pikachu woke up and saw Corsola playing with the newest member of the team. "Good morning Pikachu. This is Lucario. He'll be joining us on our journey." Pikachu looked at the new Pokémon; for some reason, he seemed remotely familiar. When Lucario's eyes met with Pikachu's, he felt as if he knew the little yellow Pokémon too.

"Pi Pikachu!"

"Why is this Pikachu not in it's pokeball like others?" asked Lucario as they walked through the forest. Lucario mentioned earlier, that he knew where the town was, after wandering aimlessly around the forest.

"He never liked the ball, ever since I knew him. Actually, he belongs to my friend…"

"Are you looking after it until he comes back?" Misty looked at him, and smiled. For some reason, Lucario grabbed his head.

"Are you okay?" yelled Misty. Pain ensued from Lucario's head as he continued to scream. He saw black shadows inside his head, as if he were watching a movie that was so dark you couldn't make out the actors. And just as fast as it had begun, it ended; the Pokémon stood up like nothing had happened. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright." They walked silently the rest of the way until they reached the town. Afternoon had already hit and it was already time for lunch. Misty knew that Corsola and Pikachu- she only brought those to start fresh- were starving and without Brock here to cook for them, they were doomed. She detoured into a Pokémon Center and asked for a room. She deposited her Pokémon inside and left Pikachu to look after them.

"Pika pi," he said in a disappointed voice.

"Pikachu, if you stay… I'll bring you back a bottle of ketchup." Misty's voice was singsongy and Pikachu complained no more. "I'll bring back food for everyone, and some more for our journey okay? Bye." Misty and Lucario walked into a café. Once they stepped inside, all eyes were on them.

"Well I'll be damned. Somebody finally managed to catch that Lucario I've been hearing about." Lucario was about to say he wasn't captured, but Misty stopped him.

"Yes, can I just get two pounds of Pokémon food and a bottle of ketchup please?" The man at the counter looked at her quizzically. "Yes, I said a bottle of ketchup. Do you want anything Lucario?" It looked across the menu and picked out two cheeseburgers. They sat down as they waited for their orders.

"Do you ever feel like your forgetting something?" Misty nodded.

"I forget things a lot."

"Not like that. I mean, I think I lost my memories. I see visions in my head and I don't know what they are about. They feel like they are special and I…"

"Order's ready." Misty got up and paid the man.

Once outside they continued their conversation. "Lucario…" Misty stared back at him, and for a moment she was reminded of Ash. She shook it off. "If you think you lost you're memories, then I'll help you."

"Misty, thank you so much! Then I'll help you on your journey. What are you looking for?"

"I'm out to get myself an egg from a scientist."

Misty arrived back in the room and served the food. They all ate to their bellies content and Corsola returned to its ball. Pikachu on the other hand, fell asleep with the bottle of ketchup in his arms. Lucario walked toward the sleeping Pokémon, and when Misty saw this she screamed. "Lucario no… Pikachu doesn't like…" It was too late. Lucario had already slipped the bottle away from Pikachu who grew mad. He used Thunderbolt and shocked the blue Pokémon before returning back to his slumber with his beloved bottle. Lucario sat on the floor, eyes wide as the visions passed through his head. He saw them, not at all as clearly as he would've liked, but clear enough. He saw through someone's eyes this Pikachu and some of the adventures, especially when he got electrocuted.

"I remember. I see Pikachu…" Misty hadn't heard what the fallen Pokémon had said and helped him onto the bed. "I think I'll remember what I lost if I travel with you guys."

"That's great Lucario, it really is." Lucario didn't know, but he felt something toward Misty, something he knew a Pokémon couldn't and shouldn't feel. She saw him staring at her and he turned around in the bed, trying to get himself to get some sleep.

Misty sat down on the grass, and looked up at the sky. They had just walked from the Pokémon Center; it was already dark, and the moon was in full bloom. "I think we should stop and set up camp here." Lucario was lying on the sleeping bag when he heard a distinctive noise. The forest was quiet so the sound of an airplane landing was really conspicuous. Lucario got up quietly, trying not to disturb the other sleeping patrons and followed the sound. He saw a various amount of people leave the plane; they were all dressed the same, as if they were in the same organization. He heard a voice coming from the walky-talky the leader had in her hand.

"That Lucario should be around here somewhere. We'll bring him to you." The leader turned to her team. "Make sure to search everywhere for him." Lucario believed that if he didn't fight then Misty and the others would get involved. He walked up to the leader and readied himself for battle.

"Lucario… you guys know what to do." One of the grunts walked in front of him and brought out a Doduo. The grunt yelled at his monster, ordering him to use Pursuit. Doduo ran close to Lucario coming just inches to his face before the aura Pokémon used Metal Claw. His claws scratched at the bird causing it to jump back to its trainer.

"Go! Fury Attack." Both heads came attacking at mind numbing speeds. They both attacked, growing in power as they did. Lucario tried one more time. He let out a powerful Force Palm, filled with all the energy he had left. His palm pushed forward, causing a massive shockwave that obliterated everything in his path. As the jet the mysterious group flew in fell to the floor, Lucario ran back to camp.

"Misty… we have to go." The red head woke up slowly, wiping her eyes of sleep when she heard the commotion. She got up quickly and checked it out.

"What happened there?" she asked. When she finally got close enough, she saw the only thing that could've made the night any worse. Lucario seemed to have sensed it.

"What's going on?"

"Team Rocket…"

Their footsteps slammed down on the moist floor as they ran away from the Rockets. They kept on running, Pikachu still on Misty's shoulder as they bust into a Pokémon Center late at night. Nurse Joy was astounded to see a girl and her Pokémon running so fast in the dead of night.

"Is everything all right?" asked the concerned nurse.

"Oh yeah. We just wanted to have a race," she said between breaths. She laughed breathlessly as she asked for a room. Pikachu was still tired from all the adventure and once he touched the soft mattress, he fell asleep. Misty and Lucario on the other hand were wide awake.

"If Team Rocket is here, then they must be after you."

"You seemed really scared. You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that they will do whatever it takes to get what they want." Lucario was wide awake; unlike Misty, he couldn't get back to sleep. He was still thinking about what Misty had said.

'_They'll do whatever it takes to get what they want.'_

He saw the look on Misty's face and he really believed that. Lucario looked back at her and Pikachu once more, before he headed back to the forest, back the way they had run away from. The Rockets were still there, a new ship on its way when Lucario arrived. The boss-woman looked at him and chuckled.

"You're not getting away this time."

Misty woke up to the sun shining straight at her. She felt sleepy still and turned around in her bed seeing Pikachu and his bottle of ketchup sleeping peacefully. She smiled and turned back around to get herself comfortable. It wasn't ten seconds that she jumped out of bed, yelling, "Where's Lucario?" causing Pikachu to fall. She looked around the room, and then realized what had happened. "He's gone… because of Team Rocket. He wanted to keep us safe." Pikachu climbed onto her lap.

"Pika Pi." His hands went up and he motioned for her to come on.

Misty smiled. "You're right. If Ash taught me anything, it's to take care of your friends." So off they went, back to the clearing where Lucario had found the Rockets. They followed the footprints left in the mud as they passed the camp, and when they got to the place, nothing was there. There was only the ship that they left behind, but other than that, no life. Misty didn't give up though. She walked up to the open jet and explored the inside, searching for any clue whatsoever that would lead her to where the thieves stayed. Nothing was found after an extensive search and just as she was about to give up, she heard two voices.

"Damn that commander of ours. How the hell could she just leave us here? Do you know how long it takes to get back to the base back in Cinnabar Island?"

"I know what you mean," said the other, "just how do we get back over there?"

"We'll find a way." They walked inside the jet and saw Pikachu and Misty. "Who are you?"

"Well, I gotta go. Pikachu, Thunderbolt." The electric mouse shocked them and they fell to the floor. "I know how to get to Cinnabar Island."

Lucario was stuck inside of a chamber after he had willingly let Team Rocket capture him. He usually would've fought, but he had to make sure they didn't go after Misty… he had a feeling she was going to try and save him. The chamber was dark, and he could see nothing through the thick, dark glass. Even so though, he wondered why he could _see_ them. He couldn't even hear through the glass. He saw the Rockets clearly, and what's weird, is that he saw colors surrounding them. Some of them were various shades of various colors and he seemed to tap into what they were feeling. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew this was a special power.

The airplane slowed to a stop at the abandoned mansion, landing right behind it. The grunts walked in, carrying the chamber containing the aura Pokémon. The commander walked inside, going up the four flights of stairs and finally stopping in front of a man sitting at a lavish dining table. He had a bottle of wine brought to him and it looked like he was waiting for his dinner. He turned and looked at the package the grunts set behind the woman. His voice was deep and menacing, but also calm and collected. "What do you have for me Donna?"

"Forgive my intrusion," she said motioning to the dinner, "but I think this Lucario should make up for my lateness."

The man stood up. He walked, his suit following his every shape. His hands touched the smooth glass and saw Lucario's glorious form. "It will fetch a nice price and make a strong Pokémon." He glanced over at the grunts and dismissed them. "Donna," he said when they were alone, "you've outdone yourself." The man grabbed her, caressing her, as he pulled her close to him.

"Giovanni…" said Donna as he brought her in for a kiss.

Lucario tried wriggling inside of the case. He saw the two figures out there, one of whom he knew was the boss woman who had captured him, and the other he wasn't too sure. Red aura surrounded the two and he tried even more to escape as he heard moans growing louder and louder…

Misty and Pikachu climbed off the boat, after thanking the driver. They sidled to the front of the mansion and when they were there, in front of the door, Misty called on Corsola. "We're going to need some major help okay?" The trainer and the two Pokémon entered the house and the battle started. Two grunts were standing next to the door as it flew open and they got knocked out as the ochre wood hit their heads. On the top of the stairs, more grunts continued to flock downstairs. Misty laughed as she saw the grunts uncoordinated attempts as they created a huge mass on the stairs. "Pikachu, Corsola," said Misty, "Thunderbolt, Spike Cannon!" The mass fell to the ground one after another as if the were domino pieces. The heroes ran through past the third floor, and up to the fourth, where the two adults had already finished their fun. Misty looked around and saw the chamber.

"Lucario?"

Giovanni righted himself and questioned Misty. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take Lucario back. He isn't yours."

His laugh echoed around the room. Pikachu and Corsola were standing their ground. "You think so don't you?"

"Yeah I do. Let's do this you guys."

Lucario had tried to tune out the moans that were ensuing when Donna and Giovanni had been having sex, but that's not what he had heard now. He heard Misty's voice and he saw her aura and the aura of everything in front of him. Misty's aura was pale yellow –of one who was hopeful– and that of the Pokémon were a metallic yellow –that of one who had a power awakened– as they waited for the other Pokémon to be thrown out.

Donna threw out a Meowth and a Gyarados. "Let's go. Meowth Payday. Gyarados use Aqua Tail." The two Pokémon ran forward and attacked Corsola and Pikachu. The barrage of water slapped Pikachu to the ground and the gold coins bombarded the coral Pokémon. Donna followed with Taunt.

Misty noticed her Pokémon getting irritated. "Hey you guys cool down. Pikachu use Thunder, and Corsola, use Earth Power." A huge thunder clap filled the room as a huge bolt came storming down on the two opposing Pokémon. They fell onto the floor, trying to stand back up, growing weaker each second. Following the thunder attack that Pikachu just produced, Corsola used Earth Power. The ground beneath the foes shook as lava started spewing around them. The fire surrounded them and then finally they fell to the ground fainted.

"Oh no… Meowth, Gyarados." She brought them back into the capsules, and started to bring out her other Pokémon; Giovanni stopped her.

"Don't." He pushed Donna aside and stepped up. "Tanaka…" a butler walked in, a Persian following him. Tanaka handed Giovanni a pokeball; another battle was about to ensue.

Lucario was getting frightened. Giovanni had an aura of evil surrounding him, and he felt that Misty was in danger the longer she continued to battle him. He struggled, concentrating his mind to its full extent to bring strength to his muscles. He thrashed inside of the chamber, earning a small crack in the process.

Giovanni's two Pokémon, Persian and Gyarados, claimed the field in front of the other tired and battered Pokémon of Misty. He was calm, cool, and collected, as if everything was in control. He let the lady go first.

"Pikachu Thunder on Gyarados and Corsola use Rock Blast." The rocks flew from the floor, aiming at their target. Persian was a speedy cat and every high flying rock missed it. Persian stopped smack dab in front of the pink Pokémon.

"Thunderbolt." The Persian gave a sinister smile, much like its owner as its garnet red gem created an electrical bolt that knocked Corsola onto the wall behind it. It tried to get up, the Corsola did, awaiting what Misty was going to tell it to do.

"Recover, Cor—" Misty's words were cut off.

"I don't think so. Thunderbolt once more." Pikachu watched as the Gyarados took the Thunder attack fully, not flinching in the least. He saw Corsola, and the Thunderbolt about to be administered and he ran in front of her. Just as the yellow zigzag line emanated from Persian's gem, Pikachu took the attack. Pikachu felt his power recover, and Misty saw this as her chance.

"Recover, and then use Earth Power on Persian. Pikachu, Iron Tail on Gyarados." Fully rejuvenated, the Pokémon continued their barrage. Their attacks slammed onto the suspecting foes, but this time, they had a great affect. Persian was down on the ground, wobbling on its legs as it tried to stand. Gyarados hit the floor hard as Pikachu smashed his metal tail onto his hard skin. As Pikachu was still in the air from the last attack, "Pikachu, Iron Tail on Persian!" Misty was so confident in Pikachu's ability to defeat the Team rocket leader, and she had every right to be.

Pikachu was right above the cat now, straight on and bound to not miss. Only… when the attack collided, it wasn't with Persian, it was with a Nidoran. All faces turned to Donna who had brought out her Pokémon at the last second.

Lucario struggled even more in the darkened chamber as he saw/ felt the anger, and danger in Giovanni grow. The crack grew a bit more, creating unseen streaks through the glass.

Giovanni looked at his Persian, at the Nidoran, and then at the trainer who had released it. Misty and Donna both saw his jaw tense; he called Donna over. Donna walked wearily over to her boss, cautious of every move that she made. She stopped in front of him, at least five feet away. He urged her closer. "I won't bite," he said. His voice was indefinable. It held a mix of many things, but those that stood out told Donna to run. Funny thing about intuition though… it only counts if you listen to it.

Donna was now in front of Giovanni, his face only inches from hers. He spoke, his voice low. "What do you think you're doing?" She started talking, but he cut her off. "You got in the middle of my battle."

"You were going to lose sir…" The Donna that had been on the jet, and the Donna that had just fought our heroes was no where to be seen; this Donna was a complete opposite. Her voice was low, as if she was insecure, and she cowered as she spoke to Giovanni.

"Was I going to lose? Did you know that?"

"I was just trying to…" He slapped her across the face, blood leaking down her nostrils.

"Get out of my sight."

"Yes sir," she said, her normal voice back.

Giovanni looked over at Misty. "Well, let's get back to it shall we?"

They picked up where they left off, but it didn't look bright for the water trainer. Corsola attacked with everything that she could give, all her strength, but it produced no seen affects. The foes kept on getting up, kept on attacking. Gyarados stood behind Persian, him in the background as Persian attacked both Corsola and Pikachu. Pikachu used Iron Tail and that's when he saw Gyarados. Persian looked back and saw that the serpent was finally ready to release the Hyper Beam. It wasn't aimed at Pikachu.

Corsola tried desperately to move away as the beam of light projected toward her but lo, it was too late. The orange and yellow beam dissipated as it hit Corsola and she lay on the ground fainted. Misty called her back. "Good job. I guess it's just us now huh Pikachu?"

Lucario sensed desperation now. He too was desperate. His paw had reached out his palm from his thigh and raised it to the glass. He concentrated and used Metal Claw.

Giovanni was the first to hear the sound of metal cutting through very thick material, and he stared as the black paw stepped out. The glass fell to the floor, and Misty, realizing that Giovanni was staring behind her, looked back to see Lucario. She ran over to him, giving him a huge hug. Lucario spoke to Giovanni.

"This is the end for you…"

"Au Contraire," said Giovanni. Pikachu was surrounded by a purple pool of sludge. Toxic. Lucario jumped onto the field and took actions into his own hands.

"I'm my own Pokémon. If I win, you let us go, and if you win, you get me, but not them."

"That's hardly fair. Throw in the Pikachu and we have a deal."

"No."

"What about me. I'm a Gym Leader, and I master in Water Pokémon. If you win, I'll join Team Rocket, along with Lucario."

Giovanni laughed. "You two… alright then. Let's get on with this."

Lucario focused his thoughts and imagined all the terrible things he could do the Pokémon before him. He used his Dark Pulse move and attacked Gyarados. Gyarados wailed as the rush of dark thoughts clouded his mind, making him lose HP in an instant. Then just as fast, Lucario produced an Aura Sphere. The sphere collected the aura of his opponent and shot it back at them. Gyarados fell to the floor, Giovanni looking aggravated, probably at the thought of losing a fine specimen and a new team member.

He recalled Gyarados and angrily commanded Persian to attack the aura Pokémon. Pikachu jumped out of the toxic sludge and onto Lucario's shoulder. Lucario knew he had this in the bag. He smiled at Giovanni, and as if he had the move Taunt, he taunted Giovanni. He turned around and slapped his butt. "I bet your Persian couldn't hit me if its life depended on it." Giovanni clenched his jaw again. "I heard you were the big bad boss for Team Rocket… where's that guy now?" Giovanni was getting distracted, he didn't notice that Persian was too, and confused at that. Misty saw this and commanded Pikachu.

"Quick attack, then Iron Tail." The mouse complied, jumping off his ally, but Lucario stopped him.

"I want to finish him off…" Misty shrugged and Okayed him. He stood in front Persian, who was giving off a menacing growl, and he felt like… like he needed to turn his hat around (if he had a hat). The intensity of the battle just controlled him and he couldn't let it go; this was just too much fun. The images played in his mind. He saw both Misty and a boy he knew to be Brock for some reason or another, and he saw a whole horde of people he recognized, but he himself at this moment didn't know. He fell to the floor, headache scorching his mind. Misty crouched next to him, allowing Pikachu to finish the job as she dragged him out next to her.

Pikachu did what he was originally asked, defeating Persian with his Iron Tail. Giovanni called –quite calmly– for Tanaka, and when he appeared, he picked up the Persian. Giovanni looked to the two on the floor. "I keep my word." With that he left the room, allowing the trio to get over to a Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy and Misty had both been insistent on having Lucario checked, but he wasn't having that. The moment he stepped into the room, he stayed there. Corsola and Pikachu were fine, eating their fill of Pokefood for the day's hard work. Misty sat on the bench on the side of the Center and watched her Pokémon eat. A shadow hovered above her.

"Misty…"

"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried sick about you." Lucario opened his mouth to say something, but let Misty continue. "At least the boatman was nice enough to drop us off next to our destination. We'll be at that lab by tomorrow." She looked up at him. "Did you find out what you wanted to do?"

"Misty," said Lucario, sliding closer to her, "the only thing I was thinking, was if you were okay; I feared for you're safety." His paw cupped her face and instantly, her thoughts trailed back to Ash. Again she shook it off, but it was stronger this time. She couldn't help but mutter his name.

"Ash…" said Misty, cupping his face as well. As the name rolled off her tongue, Lucario felt a major head pain working its way up again. He clutched at his head, screaming. This time, it hurt worse. It was brighter, whiter, fuller. He had to take it all in, from the beginning, all the way to the end. He saw his various journeys, and he saw his various friends. Misty was on her knees, grabbing the Pokémon's shoulder, shouting for Nurse Joy. Chansey walked up with a stretcher and pulled him over to the medical room. Misty wasn't allowed in, but she stayed by the door. More and more visions flooded his mind, no longer black or white, but in full vivid HD color. More and more screams emanated from him as well. As the final play raced by his eyes, he calmed down enough to fall into a deep, deep sleep.

"_I'll get that Omanyte for you if it's the last thing. Come on Pikachu. Thunder!" He saw the massive thunder come striking down on the horde of Omanyte and he saw some of them fainting. "Run Misty…" He had said. He looked down at his waist and saw that they both had only brought one Pokémon each. The boy looked up and saw the horde making way… he knew something worse was about to happen. "Pikachu… Quick Attack!" He saw Pikachu fighting and he knew he had only one goal: To save Misty. The boy jumped in front of the giant rock that spiraled toward the Waterflower, and the last thing he heard was… _

"_Ash… no…" Ash looked to the weak voice and saw the rock hurdling toward her. He tried to reach her, but he was just to slow…_

Lucario woke up with a start… just as the rock was about to hit Misty. He woke up and he felt a gentle breathing next to him. Misty was lying on the side of his bed, still sitting in a chair. He smiled at her, and that feeling, that he knew that a Pokémon shouldn't have for a human was back.

He analyzed his dream and as everything played back he realized something… he heard Misty shuffle, and then wake up, staring at him with sleepy eyes. She looked back at him, her green eyes piercing his black orbs. "Lucario…?"

"No, it's me Ash." Misty looked at him a bit longer, and then she stood up, anger filling her body.

"How dare you pretend to be Ash!"

"I'm not!"

"He's dead. There's no way you could be him, not in a million years!"

"Misty you've got to believe me! What about the…"

"Shut up! Just shut up." Misty started for the door before her tears got the better of her. Lucario jumped off the bed and stood between her and the door. "Move!" Nurse Joy heard Misty's yell and knocked on the door.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes it is," replied Lucario.

"No it isn't. Open the door!"

"Just listen to me a bit. I remember, just before I died, we went to go look for Omanyte eggs. The one you wanted so badly." She hadn't looked at his eyes once, thinking over what he was saying. "And…" he said almost triumphantly, "I remembered Pikachu. How much happened between us when he shocked me. Don't you think it's weird that you called me Ash just a minute ago?" She did think it was weird, but wasn't that just it? Wasn't it because Lucario and Ash were weird beings and they just happened to act the same way? Even with the many things that had happened in their lives; this was too out there… wasn't it?

"Ash…" Misty said as if trying out the name for the first time. Finally the water works started, and she ran into the blue Pokémon, tears running their course down her face. She mumbled incoherently and he chuckled.

"I always thought you were the cool one…" She looked at him, trying to get annoyed, but she couldn't, at least not this early. They stayed like that for a while, only the sniffles coming from Misty breaking the silence. Lucario rubbed the humans back and only then did that feeling come back, the feeling of want, the forbidden feeling between Pokémon and master.

"At least I know that my love isn't forbidden…" Misty looked up at him, and couldn't help but blush, even though it was a Pokémon, he was still Ash, her once dead love. She said nothing, looking down on the floor. She didn't notice the black paw snaking its way to her chin. Ash lifted the red head's chin and planted a long kiss on her lips.

Nurse Joy rammed the doorway. She was worried about the screams for help, and then the silence that followed and thought that something was wrong, when she saw the two making out. They jumped away from each other, blushes evident only on Misty, but the damage was done; Nurse Joy saw all that she needed too.

"I'm so sorry," she said running out of the room in no need for an explanation. They walked their embarrassed selves out of the medical room, collected their Pokémon.

Misty was still thinking how Ash came back to life, and in another body no less. Only one word came to her mind.

Reincarnation.

Reincarnation is the belief that a soul is reborn into another form, something living. Although previous life is usually forgotten, it doesn't always happen. Misty believed this was the only logical explanation for Ash's predicament; another problem though: he won't be getting his body back, as far as she knew, he was stuck like that forever. Putting it to the back of her mind for now, she concentrated only on getting her Omanyte egg, the start to all this adventure.

Donna stood at the foot of Giovanni, bowing down on one knee as did her underlings. She looked up at him, his authoritative power beaming down on her… this was why she did what she did, was who she was. Donna, ever since she had laid eyes on Giovanni, she knew she wanted to work for him, to stay by his side. She worked hard everyday, even using and training the same Pokémon as he did. Eventually, it all paid off in the end, her becoming boss of her own platoon, and of course with every good job, she gets rewarded. Donna looked back at the Rocket boss and listened to her assignment. He looked straight at her, his strong gaze piercing hers.

"Our scientists have gotten news about Arceus. He is in the Kanto region… somewhere. I want him." Donna and the others nodded and left from the room, Giovanni called her back. "I hope you know this is it for you…" he said casually, sipping on a fresh batch of clear wine. She walked out, feeling pumped up, because no matter where this went, it had to go in her favor if she wanted to stay beside Giovanni.

-X-

A/N: Hello! How did you enjoy this story? I realized after I was too lazy to change it that they were actually in search of the Omanyte themselves, not really the eggs, because if it were just the egg, they coulda come back the next day, after the Pokemon breeded, like Ash mentioned, don't you think? Well, on to Part Two!


	2. Chapter 2

Reincarnation Ch. Dos

Back for more I see well, let's see what happens to our heroes now.

Again I own nothing! – Can I ever have a Togepi then?

-X-

Donna sat in the aircraft, as she stared at the monitors gleaming in front of her.

_"I hope you know this is it for you…" _She felt all kinds of emotions course through her as she heard those words: anger, sorrow, and worst of all fear… fear she really couldn't do her job. And if that happened? Well the worst thing she could think of was her separation from Giovanni and that's it. Donna closed her eyes and shook her head. She opened them. They knew where Arceus was staying, courtesy of a kidnapped civilian from a town they had just left, and she was coming for him… hard.

Misty sat down by the fire, clutching her Omanyte egg, watching as Ash played with his Pikachu. They were at Professor Oak's friend's lab, and she had offered to let them stay for the night, but they wanted to get back home as fast as possible. Ash had wanted to meet his mom, Mr. Mime, Prof. Oak, Brock… everybody, but Misty thought it'd be a bad idea to tell too many people about this. His body was not his… and again she thought it probably never was going to be again. Pikachu jumped away from Ash and sat on Misty's lap.

"Pikachu?"

"I'm alright Pikachu." Ash stood in front of her, a frown evident on his face.

"No you're not. You're thinking about my body again aren't you?" he said with a smirk.

"No I'm not… I'm just…" He pulled her into him, after she stood up, and attempted to kiss her again. She pushed him off. "See? I knew it." She sat back down.

"It's just that it feels weird getting kissed by a Pokémon."

"Don't worry. You thought I was going to stay like this for the rest of my life?"

"What other choice do you have? You were reincarnated, and I'm pretty sure you'd have to die again to go into another body."

"Then let's go…" She shot a mean look at him. "I'm kidding. Look Mist, we'll find a way to get my body back." She nodded but even Ash saw the doubt in her face as she walked away from them and into her sleeping bag.

Ash and Misty were on foot, walking to the next town. The night was cool, and scents of barbequed meats perforated their senses. Ash sniffed the air. "It smells so good," he said drooling. He grabbed Misty's arm and started running toward the source, which wasn't that hard since there was an orange glow ahead of them from the fire. They reached the town's edge and Ash jumped in line for the meat. Misty looked around. She saw many items of Arceus. Arceus memorabilia, Arceus balloons, and some people even wearing Arceus masks.

"What is this?" whispered Misty to herself.

"We're worshipping Arceus." Misty looked down and saw an old man. He was standing besides her, watching the stars, as if he wasn't paying attention to her. "We here are grateful to Arceus. He is our lord and we celebrate when he comes back."

"Arceus? What is it?"

"Follow me girl." The old man walked over to a giant fire-pit where many people were gathered, talking and laughing blithely. "Sit."

Before she had a chance to sit down, Ash came and asked her for some money. "Misty, can I have some money? They won't give me or Pikachu any food." With a sigh she pulled out her wallet and gave him some money. The old man was watching them all this time. A voice was heard and the crowd silenced.

"We are here to worship Arceus. Creator of our worlds, creator of us. He holds within him the power of all legendary Pokémon, and he can do what none of us can ever imagine…" The voice droned out of Misty's head. "Can do anything?" she thought, "That no one can ever imagine?" She knew that Arceus was the only one who could ever get Ash back to normal. The sounds of drums and flutes brought her out of her thoughts as the townspeople began to dance. Ash sat next to her, Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ash… I think I know how to get your body back." He stared back at her, meat dangling from his mouth.

"Really, how?"

"They were talking about a Pokémon… Arceus."

"How are we supposed to find it?"

"I don't know." Ash stood up and looked around. He spotted the same old man who had talked to Misty; he called him over.

"Hey, do you know how to get to Arceus?"

"That I do young man." A shock rose in both Ash and Misty.

"Young man?" said Misty, "That's not a young man, it's a Lucario."

"I know about you two. Please, don't make an old man like me explain. Either way, why don't you all stay at my house tonight and I'll show you where Arceus is. He is in danger of some others…"

The spacecraft landed on the sandy coast of the island. The waves rocked slowly, almost touching the craft. Donna exited and looked up at the top, clouds covering the peak. Looking back at her team, she made her way to the cave on the side of the mountain. Once they entered, the smell of fire filled their noses. This wasn't just a cave, it was a volcano.

The boat swam on the waves, making its way, for the island that lay directly in front of them. The old man had told them that Arceus was always spotted in the highest peaks of the country, and the mountain they were going to was just that. Its peak couldn't even be seen, what with all the clouds drifting in front of it. As the boat slowed down, the captain came out. "Here we are lad."

"Thank you, we really appreciate it."

"No problem, but might I ask what you are going to do here?"

"I might just train my Pokémon; they've been itching for a tough battle," answered Misty.

"Very well then… see you later." The man waved and so did Misty, waiting until he was just a speck in the blue horizon. Ash and Misty walked along the edge.

"Reminds you of when I was still alive doesn't it?" Misty looked at Ash and stopped where she was. Her face had lowered and her hands clutched tightly around the egg that was in her hands.

"It was all my fault…" she whispered, "all my fault!" Ash grabbed her shoulder and made her look up at him. Her eyes were filled with tears as she let out her pent up sadness. "Everyday, I went on, because I thought that as long as I took care of Pikachu, everything would be okay… but it wasn't. Everyday, I walked around, and you didn't because it was my fault you died. If I hadn't made you come with me, you would still be alive; you'd still be breathing, and holding Pikachu, in your own body." She dropped to her knees, sobs filling the island air. Ash dropped down beside her. He wiped her tears, his blue fur soaking up the saltwater flowing down her face.

"Misty…" He came closer to her, blowing a breath of air onto her cheek. "I am alive. I am breathing." His voice was one of calmness and understanding, like he understood how she felt. "You had nothing to do with it. I wanted to make sure I was there when you caught your Omanyte, and I wanted to see your smiling face when you did. What happened was because I jumped in the line of fire to protect you…" His vision that had played after the terrible headache in the Pokémon Center came back. _"I'll get that Omanyte for you if it's the last thing. Come on Pikachu. Thunder!" He saw the massive thunder come striking down on the horde of Omanyte and he saw some of them fainting. "Run Misty…" He had said. He looked down at his waist and saw that they both had only brought one Pokémon each. The boy looked up and saw the horde making way… he knew something worse was about to happen. "Pikachu… Quick Attack!" He saw Pikachu fighting and he knew he had only one goal: To save Misty. The boy jumped in front of the giant rock that spiraled toward the Waterflower, and the last thing he heard was… _

"_Ash… no…" Ash looked to the weak voice and saw the rock hurdling toward her. He tried to reach her, but he was just to slow…_

"…if you had died, I wouldn't have known what to do. I love you and that's why I did what I did with no regrets." Her sobs had stopped, but tears were still coming down. "Now get up." His paw wrapped around her upper arm, gently pulling her up on her feet. He started walking forward when he felt a hand on his own biceps.

"Thank you Ash." Misty walked up to him and kissed him, just like he had done to her in the Pokémon Center. He looked at her as they parted, knowing how disturbing it was for her to kiss him when he was a Lucario. "I love you too, and real body or not won't change that." Their hands interlocked, (as much as a mammal with no thumbs could) and together they kept walking along the coast, remembering only the good times.

As they neared the corner, they saw a large piece of metal. "What's that?" said Misty as she ran toward it. Lucario was already by her side, and he gasped.

"It's Team Rocket's aircraft. They must be after Arceus. The old man was right."

"Not to mention, they might want to take you back too."

"Don't worry about me. I can handle myself perfectly." Ash looked to Pikachu, "you ready?", and then to Misty.

She threw her pokeball in the air, and a flash of light later, her Corsola was out. "You know I am."

The cave was dark and nothing was able to be seen. They cautiously sidled across the walls, trying to make use of the darkness if they ran into any Rockets. There were two caves now, one leading to the right, and one to the left. On the left side was a grunt.

"Looks like there showing us the way," said Ash. He was about to tell Pikachu to use a thunderbolt, but Misty stopped him.

"Hey, want to warn everybody were here?" she silently yelled, "Use a move that isn't noticeable, or let us handle this."

"Fine," said Ash irritably, "Use Iron Tail Pikachu." The sliver tail glowed as it smacked the grunt in the back of the head, him completely unaware of the intruders in the cave.

Donna walked with a quick pace, leaving her grunts behind her as she crossed the cave. Only when a cave opening came by did one of the grunts pass her, to tell see if that was indeed the way. About thirty minutes later, the Rocket boss was face to face with the slope that lead to the top of the mountain. She grabbed ten of her best grunts, the others staying behind in case of unwanted intrusion, and then together they walked the grueling slope. Every step put more strain on their bodies. Oxygen was in low supply as they got higher and higher up into the atmosphere. Once or twice, they had to stop just to get their breath. Of her ten, only six made it to the top with her. Donna stepped up, and saw what she was searching for… the Pokémon that would keep her dream alive.

Her hand shot forward like an arrow, pointing to the giant slumbering Pokémon, signaling her men to capture it, any means necessary. They all released their Pokémon, two Pokémon to the six grunts fighting made it twelve against one… and it was only going to go one way. Being as it was Team Rocket, and all the grunts have the same Pokémon, six Dodrio and six Muk, attacked. Arceus wriggled in his sleep, as if he had felt a feather on his body. Then the twelve Pokémon attacked again and again until he forced to wake up. The awakened Pokémon wasted no time in wasting his intruders. He used Hyper Voice. The vicious sound waves, broke through whatever Donna was planning, reducing her twelve team, to eight. Upon seeing the fainted Pokémon, she decided things will go better if she joins in.

Both her Meowth and Gyarados were in the battle, ready to take on Arceus. With her remaining help, she told them to attack from all sides. The grunts did, picking up the places their boss's two Pokémon couldn't. Together, they managed to make a scratch, but a scratch did nothing to the Alpha. Arceus stepped down from his roost, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone. The grunts were getting scared, desperate, and Donna noticed this too. "Keep it together men." Some of them didn't heed her warning, making their Dodrio use Tri-Beam Attack. As the thunder and the ice and fire shot into the air, Arceus attacked them with Extreme Speed. This attack reduced Donna's number from eight, to a mere half of that. With a yell, she ordered complete cooperation; everyone must do exactly as she says, from that moment on. Her Gyarados attacked first, then her Meowth, followed by an assail from all that was left from her best squad.

Misty followed behind the Lucario as they reached the last opening, where there were about twenty grunts, standing around waiting either for orders, or something itself to happen. Misty poked Ash. "I have an idea, follow me." She pointed to the sloped walkway and he understood that that was his destination. Running with Pikachu, and Misty running with Corsola, they took to the sides of the huge cave, trying to stay out of sight in the semi-darkness. Too bad plans don't always go as planned.

One of the grunts noticed the streak of pink and called out his Pokémon. "Go Doduo," he said, guiding his Pokémon to attack the Corsola.

"I don't think so. Corsola, Spike Cannon." The silver spikes cascaded onto the brown bird, and making it fall onto its belly. If that didn't get some much uneeded attention, then nothing else would've. The other grunts followed the trail of silver back to Misty.

"Hey, it's that girl who beat us at the mansion." By the sound of their voice, they were looking for some payback. More Pokémon appeared as numerous amounts of lights flashed in the cave. Ash looked back, after he finished attacking his own foe, and started telling Pikachu to attack. Misty shook her head.

"You know what you have to do. Go save Arceus." Ash's face was hard, and he was trying to figure out what he should in fact do, but she was right. They were here to ask the Alpha Pokémon for a favor, and him being in Team Rocket's grasp was not going to help. With a short nod, he motioned for Pikachu to follow him up the sloped trail, him having just a bad a time as the other grunts who took the same direction just minutes before.

Misty stood, back against the wall as about twenty Pokémon stood in front of her. She looked at Corsola and saw Corsola breathing hard, her small pink body panting fiercely; Misty bent down to her level. "I know you're tired, trust me, I am too, but we have to do this." Corsola nodded. Standing back up, Misty instructed Corsola. "Let them see Hell." The grunts had laughed at her when they heard her threat, but all that ceased when the ground shook. Unlike the last time, when Corsola used this move in the mansion, there was lava. The lave rose up, as if happy to be free of the pressure that had been built atop of them over the millions and millions of years, as if the demons of Hell were running around the room with no sense of direction. Rocks cracked, red hot liquid squeezing through whatever they could. The lava flowed and the grunts knew better. If they died here, who was going to help reap in the reward for helping capture Arceus?

Misty had knew it would be risky to use the move, especially since it had been a volcano, and now she was stuck, behind a rock wall, just waiting until the fires of Hell claimed her too. If it wasn't for Corsola, or the egg she held in her hand, she would've given up, but as long as she held out, even though she herself thought it impossible, it would be good enough.

Ash heard the screams as the mountain shook under his feet, causing him to fall onto the floor. He screamed, worried of what Misty had done, and as he stumbled back towards the way he came, Pikachu yelled at him. Even amidst all the sounds of fear and death, he understood. He looked back, praying a silent prayer that Misty and her Pokémon were okay. He took all the pain he felt from the lack of oxygen, and with it, he ran, ran all the way to the top.

Arceus fell to the ground, as well as all the other humans on the peak, but that didn't deter Donna. She quickly attacked, her men following her lead. She knew that as long as they had the element of surprise, they could possibly win, though that possibility dwindled with each passing second. The attacks actually did hit Arceus now, and he was getting irritated. His roost was beginning to burn and he had to deal with Donna. As Donna's and her team's Pokémon were about to send their final blows on the weakened Pokémon, and as Arceus braced himself for what was too come, a bolt of Thunder came shooting from the sky, knocking out all of Donna's team and her Gyarados completely out. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the Lucario and the Pikachu stand in front of Arceus.

"It is mine. I will not… I won't leave here without it." Donna forced her Meowth to attack. What it could do against three powerful Pokémon, it didn't know, but it listened to its master. Meowth used Feint Attack, and at least got a hit in on Arceus before the powerful force of Aura Sphere slammed into it. The cat fell onto its side, watching as its master brought out the pokeball and called it back in. "Damn it! I can't go back to Giovanni! I can't, but I have to try don't I?" The now crazed Donna flung herself onto the leg of Arceus. She started climbing up on his leg, trying to get onto his massive back. As if this was a waste of his time, Arceus walked over to the edge of the mountain peak. The lava from his roost was leaking down the side, and into the water, forming a mask of steam. He jumped up and down, like a bucking bull, and walked away as Donna fell from the top peak, all the way down, down, down, her screams disturbing the island silence.

Arceus walked back to his now ruined roost and sat down beside it. It too looked like it was exhausted. As Ash was about to ask Arceus the favor, he heard someone calling out to him. Misty ran to the boy, egg still in her hand. She was sweating, and sweating hard by what he could see.

"How did you get out?"

"There were rocks floating by and I knew that if I didn't act now, it'd be the end of not only me, but my Pokémon too." She looked up and saw Arceus, acting like he didn't know they were there. Ash called to him.

"Arceus." The Pokémon still didn't answer, but he did turn to look at Ash. "I heard that you could do anything, please can you make me human again?"

"No."

"Again with the speaking Pokémon," thought Misty.

"What do you mean no?" Ash stepped up closer to Arceus, as if his miniscule size (compared to Arceus) was a threat.

"No."

Donna fell and fell, thinking it was the end for her. She had lived out life doing exactly what she wanted to do. She helped Giovanni with things she never thought she'd ever before too. She was happy as she fell farther and farther, closer to the vast sea below. Donna was falling so fast that she couldn't turn her head, but she heard the sound that gave her hope. The aircraft flew beside her, doors opened and she saw Giovanni; her heart pounded. What was he going to say when he found out… wait she was falling from the mountain's peak; he had to know something was up. Giovanni extended his hand out to the Rocket boss and pulled her inside, he clutching and apologizing in his chest.

The craft rose higher and higher and for some odd reason, the door remained opened. Donna unhooked herself from Giovanni. His face told her nothing, but even so she bowed her apologies. "I'm sorry sir, I have failed you again." The sound of Giovanni walking toward her was masked by the rush of air entering the aircraft, but she felt his hands on her chin; he pulled her up.

"Don't worry about it Donna…" she thought he was going to continue, but he gave her a kiss instead. This was a very chaste kiss which confused her, because she knew of his nature, nothing innocent about it. After the kiss, he finished, "I knew you were going to fail all along." He pushed her back out the craft. Donna's eyes were wide, but she didn't scream, she didn't need too. She was content where she was in his life.

Ash stomped his foot on the rocky ground beneath him. "No, no! Please. I need my body back. Misty will never love me the some with out it!"

"That's not true Ash!" said a stunned Misty. "I've come to terms with it."

"No matter what the reason, I still say no." The alpha turned his head to the side and saw what the others had just seen too. The aircraft was hovering in the air besides them. "More of them?"

"Lucario please, don't make this harder for us." The Rocket Boss tossed his head to the side, talking to some crew of the vehicle. They looked outside and nodded, going wherever, or fetching whatever. Ash stood in front of Lucario again, and so did Misty, already bringing Corsola out. "Do it now boys."

Four men in white coats replaced Giovanni at the edge of the door, the other two on the other door, carrying what looked like harpoon guns. Giovanni appeared behind them. "You still have a choice."

"Well choice this!" Ash and Pikachu both jumped up and released simultaneous attacks of the craft. As if it was a helicopter with the ability to move sideways, it dodged all their attacks coming from all directions. "I guess I didn't think that through." The Coats pulled the trigger, sharp hooks flying from the barrel. The hooks entered the giant Pokémon behind the heroes, piercing deep inside of him. They heard as the other three made contact, Arceus grunting in pain. He fell to his knees and tried to stand, but the Coats pulled the harpoons, making him roar. As the craft flew farther away, Arceus was lifted up with it. The hooks were pulling on his skin, the blood dripping, slow and red, like the lava of the mountain he roosted on.

Lucario was seen running after the hanging Pokémon, Pikachu following his master. Just like Donna had done, Ash climbed on Arceus's leg, trying for his back. "Let's go Pikachu, we do this to finish this." Pikachu nodded and jumped up, using Quick Attack first and then hitting a Coat with Iron Tail. The gun was dropped from the knocked out man and they felt a welcomed imbalance, the ship not welcoming it at all as it shifted to one side. Ash applauded his Pokémon and went to work attacking himself.

Ash set the Coats in sights. First using his Force Palm, he made the Coat let go of the gun, trying to cover his ears from the piercing sound. Again the shift happened and now Arceus was dangling by one hind leg and one foreleg. The Pokémon saw Ash and Pikachu fighting on him.

"Leave, I can do this myself." The arrogant Arceus tried to lift his head up, but even that he couldn't do.

"Stop, you need our help."

"I'm still not going to help you…"

"Who said I cared about that anymore." Ash jumped back up in the air and used his Aura Sphere, merging together with Pikachu's Thunderbolt to finish off the last two. The last of Arceus's legs were free, and he just barely made floated onto the mountain, rolling on the rocky ground as Ash and Pikachu rolled farther. Misty ran to them. The ship had not fallen like they hoped, but at least Arceus was free.

"Get out of here Arceus. They're going to kill you."

"Let them try." Arceus ran over to the flying contraption and unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam into the air. The orange-yellowish beam hit the aircraft, causing an explosion. At first a fire broke out, then the next thing you hear are the sounds of mini-explosions, followed by one big one as the burning piece of metal spiraled to the flowing ground below them. Giovanni, had jumped out of the machine, and now was on his feet, staring straight at Arceus, waiting for him to make his move. Giovanni called out his two trusted Pokémon and the final battle started.

"Go Persian, Gyarados! Toxic. Hyper Beam!" The Pokémon ran forward, Persian using his litheness and speed to jump onto Arceus's back. The purple puddle seeped into his skin, and him trembling as the poison ran through his body. The hyper Beam followed after Persian's attack and because of his previous use of the Hyper Beam himself, and of the poison acting on him now, Arceus was in no way able to move.

Ash lifted up his head and growled. "This thing is going to end here!" He ran forward and used his Metal Claw, scratching the cat away from Arceus. Following suit, Corsola, used Rock Blast. The rocks slammed into it one by one, each on gaining more power, last but not least, Pikachu decided to leave his mark too. He finished the Persian off with a Thunderbolt and threw his hands in the air when the cat fell to the floor. At that moment, Ash saw the aura around Giovanni. This time it was a dark and muddy blue; it symbolized the lack of facing the truth. Ash knew from there that Giovanni knew he wouldn't win, knew there was no way he could win.

Gyarados was still toughing out against the other two Pokémon. Arceus was down for what seemed the rest of the battle; he was no help to the heroes with the poison in his system. Arceus was the only one who saw the Rocket move pass him, and over to where misty was. He roared a weak roar and caught Ash's attention.

Giovanni was standing next to Misty, one hand in his pocket, pulling out a pocket knife. He reached over and stole the egg from her, knowing that they would never risk a harmless egg, and plus, if he was lucky, he could kill Misty too. Misty took a step forward, eyes wide with terror as the knife edged closer and closer to the fragile egg.

"Please…"

"Arceus made this hard, not me."

"Misty! Let the egg go!"

"Give me Arceus!" His face was desperate. What did he think was going to happen when he actually got Arceus. Ash looked back to the egg in the Boss's hand, to Arceus, and then to Misty he stood, scared stiff. He wouldn't and couldn't no matter what offer another Pokémon over.

"I can't do that." Ash only was about to take a step when the knife poked into the delicate shell. Only a small peep was heard from Misty when the knife entered her egg. She fell onto her knees, thinking her egg was gone. As he pushed the knife farther inside the egg, a glowing was seen. All eyes turned to the egg, and Misty acted fast. She remembered the first time they ever dealt with an egg. It was actually an egg that her Ash, Brock, Jessie, James, and Meowth had fought over. Then once the egg hatched, it became hers because the Togepi had seen her first; her being imprinted in its head as its mother. She jumped onto her two feet, and pulled the egg away from Giovanni. No way was he going to be its new mother.

Giovanni, amazed at the light emanating from the egg, didn't notice the girl jump up and grab it. He didn't notice that now he had no hostage at all to bargain with Arceus. Giovanni pulled out his blade once more and stalked toward the Waterflower, as she clutched her egg. The egg's white glow finally died, and there in Misty's hands was a baby Omanyte. The Omanyte smiled at its mother, but it followed her gaze of fear to the man in the suit holding the knife. The newborn turned around to look at the man and then it doused him, as a fire hose would a burning house. Giovanni staggered backwards from the extreme force. Arceus was still too weak to do anything for himself, so Ash decided to take it in his hands.

"I'll make you suffer as well." Using his move, Dark Pulse, Ash sent visions of dark thoughts into Giovanni's head. Visions of horror, or what that man deemed as horror. He saw himself failing at life, saw himself not becoming the Pokémon worlds best Pokémon trafficking syndicate… saw himself as nothing. The thoughts pushed deeper and deeper in his mind, rooting on the nerves in his brain, making him believe they were real.

When the attack finished, Giovanni looked like he had gone through a truly terrifying ride. His eyes were wide with terror and he was holding his head. He was whispering, whispering at a fast pace to himself, as he walked toward Arceus.

"I'mafailureI'mafailureI'mafailure…" His footsteps trailed over to the abandoned roost that had belonged to Arceus. Ash figured what was going to happen and he grabbed Giovanni's arm.

"You don't have to this." Giovanni was still whispering to himself, his voice getting lower and slower. "Just leave."

"If you take the success from a successful man, he's nothing anymore…" whispered Misty. Giovanni pulled away from the Lucario holding him and stepped up to the bubbling pool of lava. In one fluid motion, the Rocket Boss jumped in, slipping under the red liquid, as he burned… burned in the fiery flames of Hell.

Arceus finally stood up, and he took a step forward. After a minute, he used his Refresh. Ash looked at him dumbfounded. "What the Hell?" he asked, "where was this when Rocket Boss was alive?"

"I needed to see if you were worthy of getting my help." Misty and Ash looked at each other, waiting for him to say what he thought. "You are worthy and I will grant you your request." Ash felt like he was lightweight, like he was a spiritless body, as yellow and black swirls of lights spun around him. He closed his eyes, imagining himself in his body, running through the tall grass with Pikachu, Misty jumping into his arms.

When Ash opened his eyes, he saw the sun dipping down into the horizon. Red and orange hues filled the skies. He saw his own hands wiping his sleep filled eyes, and he quickly did a once over, as if he couldn't believe he had his body back. The salt was tasted in the air as he sat up. "Where are we?"

"…" He looked around and understood her silence. It was the beach where he had died, where the Omastar had killed him.

"Where's Arceus?"

"I don't know… one minute light was surrounding you and then next thing we're here. Let's go, I don't think I could stay here any longer." Grabbing her hand he pulled her back down next to him. The weeks he had spent in the Lucario body had given him the confidence to do many things, one of which included being more forthright with Misty. He pulled her closer to him, bringing his lips onto hers.

"Better than a Lucario's kiss isn't it?" said Ash as they kissed under the eyes of the lowering sun at the beach that started their adventure… the beach that ended it.

-X-

A/N: It's Finito! First off I would like to say sorry to Donna, I thought that was a sucky way to die, but it made it such an awesome part in the story! Sorry to those also who wanted Giovanni to die differently, or not die, but I thought he deserved it for what happened to Donna so… yeah. Hope you enjoyed! :P


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